Daily Yellowstone journal., 1887-09-04

81 don't know, my dear. You see,
George came to the point without any
bringing. / had only met him once, and
that was my first ball, and he proposed
at a garden party three days after,
and'-
''Yes, l know" interrupted Jessie;
shut that does not help me-"
Mrs. Maclean put on a little air Of deep
consideration. A happy thought seemed
TO strike her.
George says" she began, ''that men,
as a rule, won't risk a refusal, and SO
want plenty of encouragement"
Bother what George saysg' exclaimed
Jessie, politely.
my dear Jessiel"
81 beg your pardon, Dora; but, you
see, Mr.. Maclean is not my husband, and
/ am rather tired of his words Of wisdom.
If men require such an amount Of en-
enlargement, they won't get it from me,
that Is ALL" And she began angrily
brushing out her hair and twisting It up
for the night.
81 wish you were not obliged to go
home tomorrow" hazarded Mrs. Mac
lean, after q pause.
''To tell the truth, I think that il Is
quite as well I am obliged" returned
Jessie, candidly, ''for the Standishes are
to remain some time longer in this neigh
borhood, and the fact is, l Am
afraid of Cecil proposing" she added,
with a sudden burst of confidence.
"Afraidl Why just now you wanted
q recipe for bringing men TO the point.
What IN incomprehensible, inconsistent
being you are!"
"Oh, you don't understandI' ex-
claimed Jessie, IS she gave an impatient
tug to her hair. 81 want Claud to pro-
pose, because-well, ! rather like him;
besides, it would prevent his cousin do
ing So"
'If that Is ALL" responded Dora,
naively, ''why not refuse Cecilf ! should
let him propose, and have done with it.
II would be far less trouble"
sand not at all honorable" retorted
Miss Vernon. "You have no right to let
a man propose, unless you meant to &C
cept him."
THAT is all very well, but IL a man
insists upon proposing, what are you to
dor You can't accept him merely foI
the sake of getting rid of him in an
honorable manner"
Jessie made no response, but presently
said, with a certain hesitation,
ITO tell you the truth, Dora-only,
pray keep this strictly to YOURSELF I'M
Il can't tell why-I am sure you will
say it very unlike me, butt am afraid
of Cecil Standish. i always have been
ever since / knew him. He is hand
some, / own, and at times contrives to
make one fancy n likes him, but 1t was
always a relief to me when he left the
room. Somehow / distrust him, and
well, I shouldn't like to offend him."
Dora affected to yawn to hide a smile.
Jessie's unusual display of honorable feel
ings was explained.
perhaps you are right, and it Is as
well that you are going home to-mor-
row." she said. We'll l suppose we
may consider this little omance finished.
Good gracious, ! hear George coming up:
how late 1T ISL she added, glancing at
the little timepiece on the mantelshelf.
GOOD night, Jessie! pleasant dreams!"
and she fitted off to her room.
II Mrs. Maclean thought she had heard
the last of her friends romance she was
very much mistaken. We even take
leave TO doubt if she wished TO have heard
the last of it. Like all women who have
no story of their own, she was immensely
interested in other peoples; and was not
this her W familiar friend's2
"a letter from Jessie" she exclaimed
one morning about a month later, as she
turned over her bundle of correspondence
on the breakfast table. "What do you
think" she cried, looking up suddenlyia
few minutes later, s'Claud Standish has
actually proposed at last; but he really
is a funny fellow"
"'Why, what has he doneT" said
George, who was comfortably warming
his hack at the fire.
"Why, dear, it is not what he has
done, but the way he has done it, which
is SO odd. 1t appears that he met Jessie's
father at a country house where both
were staying, and asked his consent to
propose to her. So dull!' pouted the
little woman
"And she accepted him ?"
.'Oh, yes; and seems most delightfully."-
happy and pleased. She expects him
down next month, he can't get away be-
fore-I don't think much of him as a
lover-and then everything is to be set
tied"
"What a mercy it isn't Cecil" OBJ
served Maclean. II was terribly afraid
at one time that Miss Jessie would take a
fancy to him."
''oh, George, | told you that there was
no danger"
Eyes, dear; but there are more things
in heaven and earth than ever entered
into your pretty little head TO imagine"
quoth her husband, holding up her face
and kissing it. However, ais well
that ends we'll"
Three weeks had elapsed since Dora
had written to congratulate Jessie. but
never another line had she received from
her. Dora was seriously uneasy. She
felt that something had gone wrong, but
was sure IL she mentioned her vague
fears to George that he would only laugh
at her. So she said nothing, and might
have persisted in her silence yet longer
had not her husband CHANGED one after
20 to fetch the letters himself from the
postoffice. There was one for Dora, and
as George gave It to her, and she recog-
nized the handwriting, she was surprised
into saying, 'Oh! what a relief II is
from Jessie"
what does she say?" INQUIRED Mac
lean, indifferently.
Dora gave no answer. She wa eagerly
devouring the contents Of the long de